The Extended Essay is a culminating research project promoting high-level research and writing skills. Students choose a topic of interest that allows them to demonstrate their attainment of all aspects of the IB learner profile. According to the IBO, the aims of the essay are: to pursue independent research on a focused topic, develop research and communication skills, develop the skills of creative and critical thinking, engage in a systematic process of research appropriate to the subject, and experience the excitement of intellectual discovery.
2010 Senior IB Diploma Candidates spent a lot of time on their 4,000 word Extended Essay, including a couple of class trip to The University of Houston's library. University databases and books were investigated in an effort to find the answers to research questions such as: "What changes occurred in the depiction of African American males in advertising art due to the affects of the Civil Rights movement?" and "What are the mathematical relationships between an athlete's birthday, the practice of red-shirting, and being drafted for Texas athletes?"
